Ethical Chocolate Worth Craving

Organic and fair trade chocolate has a reputation for being somewhat less divine than its uncertified brethren, as T Magazineblogger Jill Santopietro noted earlier this month (her pre-taste-test take on responsible chocolate: "awful"). But chocolate made with an eye to its social and environmental impact needn't taste virtuous, as Sierra Club staffers recently found out. They selflessly tested 15 chocolate bars -- all certified organic or fair trade, or made by small-scale artisanal companies -- for an upcoming issue of Sierra Magazine. These three emerged as crave-worthy winners.

FAIR TRADEArt Bar exquisite Swiss dark chocolate with coconut by Ithaca Fine ChocolatesCertified both fair trade and organic, this bar (minimum 58 percent cocoa) scored better among panelists favoring semisweet or unsweetened chocolate than those with a stronger sweet tooth. The coconut was a turnoff for some ("Reminds me of a flavored coffee," one noted), but most liked the nutty flavor and preferred it to other fair-trade entries, which struck tasters as "a little grainy" and too fruity, "like Skittles." ithacafinechocolates.com

Share your tips: What is your favorite chocolate bar? Have you tried many organic, fair trade, or artisanal chocolates? How do they measure up?